Hooked Up
by So Much Tea
Summary: A prompt I was asked to do: Emma visits Hook in the hospital in season two. When Emma walks in, his heart monitor goes crazy. Fluffiness ensues.


**Prompt:** _**Emma visits Hook in the hospital in season two. When Emma walks in, his heart monitor goes crazy. Fluffiness ensues.**_

 **Author's Notes: I hope you like this! I had so much fun writing it. If any of you guys have a prompt, don't be shy! And let me know what you think.**

Emma placed her hand flat against the cold metal panel and pushed. As the door swung open, she stepped inside, letting it close behind her. The room was small and dark, the only light source a lamp hanging from the ceiling. It was enough that she could see the bed in front of her. More importantly, she could make out the person _in_ the bed.

"Hello, love."

"Hook," she greeted, expressionless. She made her way over to the window, and pulled on the blinds until they squeaked and broke. Yellow sun poured through the gaps and flooded the room.

That was better. She could see him properly now, squinting in the sudden light, his hand thrown over his eyes.

He was dressed in hospital clothing and the thick, cream dressing gown they'd provided. It was odd to see him in such a thing. Emma had become used to the long leather coats and his swashbuckling style. It was hard to picture him as a pirate now. Especially since she was still finding it hard to believe fairy tale pirates existed anyway.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he murmured. Once he'd gotten used to the light, he removed his hand.

"I wanted to see how you are," she said with a shrug. "And I was passing by."

"Concerned about me, Swan?" he said, one of those rough, devilish grins taking over his face. He laughed. As quickly as the smile came, it disappeared again. He must have still been in pain. Broken ribs could take weeks, even months to heal properly. He was lucky nothing else was broken. Like he so kindly pointed out the last time she saw him, everything else was still intact.

"Don't flatter yourself."

She took a good look at his face. It was still bruised. His eyes had a purple, sunken in look, his face paler than usual. Even if he didn't want to let on, he was certainly worse for wear. The scruff around his jaw was thickening, becoming more of a beard. He can't have had time to trim it, not with being hit by a car and all.

"And I wanted to tell you something," she said, casting her eyes around the room. She was surprised he hadn't gone crazy in here, with the silence and the maddeningly steady beep beep beep of the heart monitor.

"Now I'm interested. Speak your mind."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "I just wanted to tell you to behave."

"Don't you like it when I'm naughty, Swan?"

Her eyes flashed over to his, becoming slits. He bit his lip, slowly, never breaking eye contact. She was in no mood for his games right now. "I mean it." They stared each other out, before Emma finally gave a sigh. "With this new guy in town, I don't wanna draw suspicion to us. Understand?"

"Loud and clear," he said. Then his voice lowered, as he watched her through heavy lidded eyes. "Only… what would happen if I _didn't_ want to - how did you put it? - behave."

She took slow steps towards him, boots thumping against the floor. "Let's just say," she began, as she approached the end of his bed. "They don't call me the Saviour for no reason. I take out the bad guys. And you _are_ a pirate. Any funny business, and there will be consequences."

His lips curled in a smirk. "'There will be consequences.' I like that, Swan. Very commanding."

She opened her mouth to warn him, _yet_ _again_ , when she heard it. The heart monitor. No longer was it a steady beep beep beep. It was picking up speed. How very… interesting.

"You do, don't you?" She said, drawing out her words, as if she couldn't quite comprehend them. Her eyes flew to the heart monitor. She was _sure_ she wasn't imagining it. Emma Swan always had an eye for these sorts of things. Or an ear, in this case.

Hook, who had been so cocky moments before, frowned, eyebrows meeting in the middle. He can't have expected her response. "Come again?"

Then it clicked.

Captain Hook was from a world without technology. He had never seen a heart monitor before. He didn't have any idea what it was, what it did, or why it was beeping. He didn't know the little machine was giving away so much of him.

Emma Swan smiled.

She was going to have some fun.

"Do you know what this is?" She asked, tapping her fingers against the machine.

He seemed a little on edge. "That thing? I believe it is a contraption from one of your little friends, who are intent on keeping me up all night with the bloody beeping."

"No, this isn't from my friends," she said. She wondered if he could see the sparkle in her eyes. "It's called a heart monitor."

"A… heart monitor?" he said. She swore he swallowed, as he put two and two together. But Hook had never been one to admit defeat, or give into potential embarrassment. "That means nothing to me."

She suppressed a smile. "Really? It should. A heart monitor does exactly what it says on the tin - it measures your heart. So that beeping is the sound of your heart."

"The sound of my… heart?" For a moment, he looked dumbfounded, the crease between his eyebrows even more prominent than before. "Darling, I have seen a heart out of a chest. Hearts do not sound like that."

"Not the _actual_ sound of your heart. It _imitates_ the sound. So if your heart were to…" She sat down on the bed, keeping her eyes on his face. "... pick up." And sure enough, the beeping came more frequent. "Interesting," she whispered.

And it _was_ interesting. She always had the suspicion that Hook was attracted to her (hell, their time on the beanstalk proved that) but if his ridiculous flirting attempts were anything to go by, he was probably attracted to anything that moved. But this… this was something new entirely. Sometimes basic attraction could make the heart run faster, or the palms sweat, but not simply by the other person being in the same room.

Could it?

"What a stupid bloody machine," said Hook. He was scowling at the heart monitor. "What type of witchcraft is this?"

"Not witchcraft. Science," she said. Then: "I wonder…"

She knew she was playing with fire. She knew this could end badly for her. This was Captain Hook, the villain from Peter Pan for God's sake. From what she'd seen of him, he was ruthless. Charming, yet ruthless. He shot another person (an innocent person) for revenge on a man that would murder him too if he ever got the chance. He cared for no-one but himself. That's why he teamed up with Cora. He was out for all he could get.

And yet…

She moved a hand over his forehead, fingertips dusting over his skin for a moment. He was still feverish from the pain of being hit by a car.

"What are you doing?"

Tenderly, she brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead. Sure enough, the heart monitor picked up speed, beeping becoming faster with every slow movement. She could see the struggle on his face as he inhaled deeply, desperately trying to slow his heart. Alas, every touch foiled his attempts, especially when she gradually brought her fingertips down his face and along his jaw. She could feel the prickling of hair under her skin.

Then he did something she hadn't expected. He closed his eyes. His features softened like he'd been waiting for this for so long. A villain, who suddenly didn't look much like a villain at all.

Then, as if he'd just realised what was going on, he opened his eyes and swung his head to the side, ripping away from her touch. The muscles in his jaw jumped.

"Do you often do this to patients?" he said through his teeth. "You're treading on dangerous ground, lass. Watch your step."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Big mistake."

The heart monitor told her differently. It still hadn't slowed down from her touches. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, yet again.

And then she had another idea, something that _would_ be treading on very dangerous ground. She shuffled closer on the bed, trying to keep her face impassive. It's funny how her opinion of him was starting to shift within a matter of seconds. The last time she saw him, he was in that very same room, flirting with her. She had asked him about Cora, and hadn't gotten any information out of him at all.

He had his eyes on her again. The monitor was finally slowing down, but not for long, if her plan went as she thought it would. She just wanted to test a theory.

At least, that's what she told herself as she braced one of her arms on the other side of him and leaned forward. Beep beep beep. His breath caught in his throat. Beep beep beep. Faster. Louder. She leaned right down, until she was inches away from his face. Until her nose brushed against his. Until she could feel his steady breathing on her lips.

Sure enough, the heart monitor elevated. Within a matter of seconds, it was beeping erratically, pulsing in time with the sound of his heart. He closed his eyes again, whether in longing or embarrassment, she didn't know.

But she wasn't going to kiss him. Not Hook. Not ever.

Slowly, she sat back up, watching him carefully. He wasn't looking at her. Instead, he glared out the window. His jaw was locked. Neck, tense. The monitor was slowly starting to calm down, though not completely.

"You know what?" she said, after a moment of silence and tension. "I don't think you're as bad as you make yourself out to be."

He didn't speak for a moment. He just avoided her gaze, as if composing himself. When he looked back at her again, that cocky grin had returned. "Oh, I wouldn't say _that_. I can be very bad."

His response confused her for a moment. She stared at him, lips turned down, as she studied his face; that fleeting grin, those characteristic eyebrows. Then she realised. It was his armour. Like her, he had armour, and if she watched him for long enough, she could see the cracks. Maybe that was where the light could creep though.

If pirates could reform.

She hadn't believed his reform was possible. Not until today. Even then, she wasn't quite sure.

"Who knew?" she said, softly. "The big bad pirate has a heart."

"Rather presumptuous of you."

She rose from the bed and smoothed down her coat. His eyes were on her, but she wasn't watching him. She wasn't sure how to process the information. If Hook had feelings for her, then…

Then nothing. She would do nothing. She felt nothing for him. He was a villain, and he always would be a villain. He would have left her in the Enchanted Forest if he had his way.

Or would he?

She'd often wondered how a man with hundreds of years of sword fighting experience could lose to her. Unless he let her go.

She shook the thought from her mind. Whether he let her go was neither here nor there. The point was; he was a villain. He had murdered hundreds of people, kidnapped and hurt many others. He was merciless. He _shot_ Belle, for crying out loud!

She made her way towards the door, and pulled it open by the handle.

"Emma?" came his voice.

She turned, surprised. He didn't often call her Emma. She expected to see some sort of arrogant smirk, or a teasing raise of the eyebrows, but his face possessed neither. Instead, it was completely serious. Not serious in an intimidating way, but in a sad way. A strange thought entered her mind; was she getting a glimpse of Killian Jones, the man behind Hook?

"Tell no-one about today," he said. She had the impression he was asking, rather than telling her.

That's when she realised. He _did_ care for her. He wasn't going to leave her on the beanstalk, like she did him. He wouldn't have let her die in the Enchanted Forest. He shot Belle, but he wouldn't hurt her. Not Emma.

Would he?

But that didn't mean she cared for him.

"Your secret's safe with me, Killian," she said, before leaving the room.

Didn't she?


End file.
